Queens County, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Tree trimming in Queens follows strict rules because approximately 239,000 street trees in Queens are owned by NYC Parks Department, not abutting homeowners. Any pruning, cutting, or removal of a street tree (located in the public right-of-way, typically the sidewalk strip) requires a Tree Work Permit from the NYC Parks Department Forestry Division under 56 RCNY 1-04. Unauthorized trimming of a street tree is illegal and can result in fines from $500 to $15,000 per tree depending on damage severity and tree value (calculated by trunk diameter). Homeowners who want a street tree pruned must call 311 to request Parks service. Private-property trees on a homeowner's own land may generally be trimmed without a permit unless the property is in a special zoning district with tree-preservation rules. The NYC Zoning Resolution Special Natural Area District (covering parts of Eastern Queens including Douglaston-Little Neck) requires preservation of trees over 6 inches diameter at breast height (DBH). Some areas of Queens like the Jamaica Estates Special Historic District have additional tree rules. Branches extending from a neighbor's tree over your property line may be trimmed back to the line at your expense under NY Real Property Law 843, but not so severely as to kill the tree.